Kobe, Japan
Smoking policy at Kobe, Kobe Airport (UKB)
Warnings & Caveats
Smoking is prohibited inside the terminal buildings and across the entire airport island except in designated smoking rooms. One room in Terminal 1's boarding lounge is restricted to heated tobacco products only; conventional cigarettes are not permitted there. Persons under 20 years of age are not permitted to enter smoking rooms (Japanese law).
Kobe Airport (UKB) takes a structured approach to smoking: all smoking is confined to designated indoor smoking rooms, and smoking anywhere else inside the terminal buildings or on the airport island is strictly prohibited. The good news for smokers is that both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have dedicated smoking rooms, so you won't be left hunting around.
Before Security
Landside smoking rooms are available in both terminals:
Terminal 1, 1F, Arrival Lobby West: A smoking room located on the ground floor in the western arrival lobby area, accessible before security.
Terminal 2, 1F, Departure/Arrival Lobby: A smoking room on the ground floor of Terminal 2's combined departure and arrival lobby, usable before you pass through security.
Note that smoking is prohibited outside the terminal buildings and across the airport island, so you cannot simply step outside for a cigarette. You must use the designated rooms.
After Security
Airside smoking rooms are also provided in both terminals:
Terminal 1, 2F, East side of the departure lobby: A smoking room on the second floor, east side, accessible after check-in and before or after the security checkpoint depending on your position in the terminal.
Terminal 1, 2F, East side of the boarding lounge (heated tobacco only): This room is restricted to heated tobacco products only (such as IQOS or Ploom). Conventional cigarettes are not permitted here.
Terminal 1, 2F, Boarding Lounge West: A smoking room in the western boarding lounge area on the second floor, accessible to departing passengers airside.
Terminal 2, 1F, Inside of International Boarding Lounge: A smoking room inside the international boarding lounge of Terminal 2, accessible to international departing passengers after clearing security.
Vaping and Heated Tobacco
Heated tobacco products (like IQOS, Ploom, and similar devices) are treated separately from conventional cigarettes at UKB. One room in Terminal 1's boarding lounge is designated exclusively for heated tobacco, meaning regular cigarette smokers cannot use it. Vaping rules are not explicitly detailed in the official sources, but given Japan's general approach, it is safest to treat e-cigarettes the same as heated tobacco and use only the designated rooms.
Bottom Line
Kobe Airport is smoker-friendly by Japanese standards: multiple designated smoking rooms exist both landside and airside in both terminals, but you must use them. Smoking anywhere else on the airport island is banned, and one airside room in Terminal 1 is heated tobacco only.
Is something wrong or outdated?
Help us keep information accurate. Submit a correction and we'll review it.
